[The effect of selective decontamination on nosocomial infections, their causative agents and antibiotic resistance in long-term intubated intensive care patients]

Abstract

During a 12-month period 45 long-term intubated patients were treated by topical application of non-absorbable antibiotics (tobramycin, polymyxin, amphotericin B) together with an initial short-term intravenous application of an antibiotic with only minimal activity against anaerobic intestinal flora. These patients were compared to 48 patients in the previous 12-month period who had only interventional antibiotic therapy in case of established infections. This selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) reduced the colonisation of the respiratory tract, thus also decreasing incidence of nosocomial pneumonia. There were fewer urinary tract infections, while the incidence of wound infections and septicaemia was influenced to microorganism a lesser degree. The number of gram-negative isolated microorganism was reduced, leading to a shift towards gram-positive organisms, especially S. epidermidis. During the 12-month study period there was no change of antibiotic sensitivity of the isolated microorganisms. Although we encountered no problems associated with multiresistant pathogens, routine microbiological surveillance is strongly recommended to detect changes in antibiotic resistance at an early stage.